


Happy Birthdays

by CrushItWithABrick



Series: Shiro POV stories (misc) [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura (Voltron) is Alive, Allura (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Birthday, Birthday Cake, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Party, Birthday Presents, Coran (voltron) is a good friend, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Happy Birthday Shiro (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Implied Relationships, Keith (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Lance (Voltron) is a Good Friend, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Other, POV Shiro (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt is a Good Friend, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, SHEITH - Freeform, Shiro (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Shiro (Voltron)-centric, Shiro Birthday Week 2020, Team as Family, sheith fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:00:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22961320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrushItWithABrick/pseuds/CrushItWithABrick
Summary: Takashi Shirogane has always loved his birthday.Four little snippets from Shiro's birthdays over the years.
Relationships: Allura & Shiro (Voltron), Coran & Shiro (Voltron), Hunk & Shiro (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Lance & Shiro (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Shiro & Black Lion (Voltron), Shiro & Shiro's Father (Voltron), Shiro & Shiro's Mother (Voltron), Shiro & Voltron Paladins, Voltron Paladins & Voltron Paladins, shiro as a child
Series: Shiro POV stories (misc) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1650079
Kudos: 12





	Happy Birthdays

Takashi Shirogane loves his birthday more than any other holiday or celebration. It’s just for him. The attention and the cake and the present. He only gets one present on his birthday but it’s always perfect. Last year he got his first telescope. It was a simple model but it came with a membership to the observatory. He went as often as he could convince an adult to take him. The year before it had been the official Space Ace bayard with lights and sound. It was just like the one Space Ace used on the show and he couldn’t wait to spar with his friends.  


“Happy birthday,” his parents say to him. He blows out the candles on his cake then pulls one out and licks the frosting from the base. 

Chocolate. His favorite.

“You want this?” His father holds a wrapped box over Shiro’s head. Shiro laughs and nods.

He rips off the paper and pauses at the plain brown cardboard box underneath. It offers no clue as to what’s inside which only makes Shiro more excited. He tears the tape from the flaps and looks inside.

Two small ceramic bowls are nestled atop a plush mat packed inside a plastic pan. Inside one dish is a toy mouse. In the other, a collar.

Shiro hauls everything from the box and beams at his parents.

“Oh. . you forgot this,” his mother says to his father. She hands Shiro a slotted plastic scoop. “You need to clean up after him,” she says.

“Or her,” Shiro corrects. He grabs the scoop and hugs his mother and then his father. “I promise.”

The drive to the animal shelter is a blur as Shiro imagines all the cats and kittens he’ll have to pick from. Inside he patiently waits for a volunteer to take them back to a room where cats are free to roam. Shiro’s parents point out this cat or that cat and they pet a few and play with others but Shiro is not sure. The volunteer takes them to a separate room lined with cages holding more cats and a few litters of kittens. Shiro listens to his mother coo over the babies and his father reminds her that they are only here for one cat.

“What do you think?” his father asks him.

Shiro walks along the row of cages again, his excitement slowly starting to fade. 

“You don’t have to choose today,” his mother offers. “We can come back next weekend and look again.”

Shiro sighs.

“Do you want to look in the other room again?” she asks him. 

He nods and follows her back to the room. He quietly wanders around, petting different cats as they approach then takes a seat on a chair. He watches his mother and father as they play with the cats and chat with one another. He sighs again and leans his head back.

“It’s so hard to. . .” He sits up abruptly and looks at his lap.

A large black cat looks back at him. Shiro smiles. He offers his hand and the cat head butts it then starts to purr.

“Hi,” Shiro says to it. The cat looks at him then steps closer and rubs its face against his. Shiro laughs. “Hi,” he repeats. 

“Who’s your friend?” his father asks. He examines the cat’s collar and reads.

“Leona.” 

“Leona,” Shiro repeats. She rubs against his face again and he laughs. “You want to go home with me?” 

The cat purrs.

“She’s the one?” his mother asks.

Shiro strokes Leona again and nods.

“Yeah.”

\-------------------

“Don’t you think it’s kind of weird?”

“Weird? What are you. . .”

“Going out on a first date on your birthday.”

Shiro laughs.

“Who said it was a first date?”

“What? You went out with him before? When?”

Shiro cuts into his slice of cake and takes a bite. Chocolate. His favorite. He grins at Keith as he slowly chews.

“How long has this been going on?”

Shiro takes another bite and arches his eyebrows.

“Oh my god. Don’t tell me this is like. . .like a thing.” Keith pauses and his eyes widen. “Have you two. . .”

Shiro grins again and Keith gasps.

“When did you become such a prude?” Shiro asks.

“I’m not a prude. It’s just. . .you’ve been having this, this. . .love affair. . .”

Shiro laughs harder.

“. . .this whole time and didn’t tell me?”

Shiro coughs and takes a sip from his glass. Cold milk and chocolate cake. It reminds him of the birthday’s he had as a kid.

“You really want to hear about how he jerked me off in his car or the time I gave him head in the park or. . .”

“No. . .you what? What park. . .” Keith sighs. “That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it, Shiro.” He narrows his eyes at Shiro. “Really? In the park?”

Shiro nods and holds up two fingers.

“Twice?”

“Not in the same park,” Shiro offers.

Keith laughs.

“So? Is he just a plaything or. . .”

“No.”

Shiro takes another bite of cake and watches Keith.

“That’s it? You’re just going to. . .” Keith sighs. “You can be a grade A pain in the ass when you put your mind to it, you know that right?”

Shiro shrugs and smiles. 

“You going to eat that?” He points at Keith’s slice of cake with his fork. Keith scowls at him.

“Yes, yes I’m going to. . .” Keith makes a show of taking a big dramatic bite. “I’m eating the cake now quit. . .” He coughs and pauses to take a drink.

“His name’s Adam,” Shiro offers. “He transferred a few months ago. That’s when I met him.” 

“And?”

“And what? You want to know if he’s a good lay or. . .”

“I swear, Shiro, I want to stab you with this fork.” Keith grins at him.

Shiro laughs.

“What? What do you want to know?”

Keith sighs.

“When am I going to meet him?”

Shiro looks at his watch.

“In about an hour. I thought we could all go out to. . .”

“Do not say the park.”

Shiro laughs as Keith grins.

“Go karts,” Shiro replies. “It is still my birthday and I have a title to defend.”

Keith laughs.

“I am so going to dethrone you, birthday king.”

“You can try but you will not succeed.”

There’s a lull in the conversation as they both take bites of their cake.

“So?” Keith finally says.

“So, what?”

“You really like this Adam?”

Shiro nods to the affirmative and licks the back of his fork.

“He’s a good lay, too.”

\-----------------

He makes his way to the hangar expecting to find Keith with his lion but no one is there. He hasn’t seen anyone all day and he thinks he knows why. He takes a meandering walk around each of the lions before making his way to Black. He trails his hand along the side of her foot and feels the familiar tingle run through his body. It’s like a purr deep in his mind. He smiles as the huge metal lion lowers to her belly and puts her chin on the floor. He walks to her mouth and she opens it just enough so he can enter.

He takes his seat then stretches his legs long and lets out a slow and contented sigh. He has just about convinced himself to have a nap when he hears a sound deep in his mind. It takes him a moment to recognize it then smiles when he does. 

He hums along as Black sings him happy birthday then sits up.

“What are they up to?” he asks.

His mind is suddenly quiet and he laughs. 

“Sworn to secrecy, huh?”

The purring starts again and he smiles. He stretches out again and closes his eyes. He lets his mind wander to other birthdays over the years. He’s always loved his birthday and still does, despite the few that stand out as less than happy, including the first one he had after his parents died or the one spent alone on a ship after escaping from a Galra prison. Ulaz’s help with his escape is the best gift he’s ever received, though he’s sure Ulaz didn’t plan it that way. 

He’s always gotten exactly what he wants for his birthday.

He sighs as the mix of memories bring with them a twinge of homesickness.

He drifts off into a dreamless sleep. When Black wakes him with a gentle nudge in his mind, he yawns and stretches and notices a small screen on the control panel is lit. He laughs as he sees Rover hovering around the hangar. 

“Time for me to go?”

Black purrs and opens her mouth just enough for Shiro to duck out. He sees Rover zip away and out the door ahead of him and laughs again. He takes a circuitous route to the common room and several times notices Rover following him. He wonders how long they will put up with his game and gets his answer when, only a few minutes later, he hears Allura’s voice.

“Shiro, please report to the common room. Thank you.”

He laughs then makes a detour to a bathroom before making his way there.

The door opens and the room is dark. He hears shuffling and a moment later the lights come on and they appear from behind the various furnishing to a chorus of “surprise”.

“Were we successful?” Allura asks. “I was concerned my calling you here may have alerted you to our plan.”

“He knew,” Pidge offers. She smirks at him and Shiro laughs. “I need to recalibrate Rover, he’s usually a lot better at keeping his cover.”

“I had a little heads up.”

“Who told you?” Lance glares at Keith then gives Shiro a hug. “They were convinced I’d be the weak link but. . .happy birthday, Shiro!” Lance flings his arms wide. “You like?”

The room is festooned in handmade decorations fashioned from some things Shiro recognizes from the Castle and some items that look brand new.

“Remember that. . .” Lance makes air quotes with his fingers. “. . .mission me, Pidge, and Hunk went on?” He grins. “Total shopping trip. We’ve been planning this for, like, ever.” He hooks his thumb at Keith. “He told us. In case you’re secretly pissed or something and want someone to take it out on.”

“He’s not mad,” Keith says as Lance plops down next to him on the long sofa. “I told you, he loves his birthday.”

Shiro nods and sits on the sofa. Lance jumps up.

“Oh, but we’re not done yet,” he says in what Shiro recognizes as his announcer voice. Pidge rolls her eyes at Shiro and Shiro laughs.

“Guys,” Lance yells. “Bring it in!”

Shiro turns and watches as the door opens and Coran and Hunk carry in a very large, multi-tiered cake.

“Oh,” Allura laughs. “Hunk, it’s so large. We’ll never eat it all.”

“Speak for yourself,” Pidge says. “I’ve been dieing for something that isn’t food goo.”

“Preach, sister,” Lance says.

They go across the room to where Hunk is fussing with the cake. Shiro looks over at Keith and Keith smiles at him.

“I’m pretty sick of food goo, too,” he says as he stands. 

Shiro follows him and is immediately swept into one of Hunk’s huge hugs.

“Happy birthday, Shiro. I hope you like it.”

“Thanks, Hunk. It looks. . .you did this?”

Hunk blushes and nods.

“We’ve had a lot of downtime and baking is relaxing so. . .”

“He wouldn’t let us help,” Lance says. He reaches to swipe his fingertip in the icing and Coran swats him. He yelps and scowls.

“Take a moment to appreciate the craftsmanship,” Coran scolds. 

“Yeah, yeah, it’s gorgeous. Hunk, you have mad skills, bro,” he says in a flat tone. “But the proof of the cake is in the eating or something like that, right? So let’s cut this bad boy and. . .”

Pidge holds out a knife and Hunk takes it from her.

“Ok, each layer is different. . .”

“One of each,” Pidge says.

“And don’t be stingy,” Lance adds. Pidge nods at him and holds out a plate.

“. . .and the top is just for Shiro,” Hunk finishes.

“OH. . .wait!” Lance dashes back to the sofa. “Presents first.”

Pidge moans.

“Pidge. . .” Lance scolds. “I know, I want to wreck that cake too but. . .” He looks at Shiro. “Close your eyes.” Shiro obliges and listens as Lance races back to him and without any warning drops something into Shiro’s hands. “Open,” he instructs.

Shiro opens his eyes and sees a crown made from a strange gold fabric. He laughs and sees Keith grinning at him.

“Keith asked me to make this for you since I have all the crafty skills around here.” Pidge clears her throat loudly and Lance adds. “Ok, well, Pidge is like a close second.” He rolls his eyes at her. “So competitive.”

“This from you,” she snips.

“Save it for the track,” Keith says to them. He plucks the crown from Shiro and says to him. “You have a little more competition for that throne, birthday king.”

“Track? What are. . .” Lance looks from Keith to Pidge. 

“Go karts,” Pidge says.

“That’s what you two have been up to? No way!”

“Way. Winner gets the crown but not before I get some cake.” She turns her attention to Hunk. “Please, Hunk, end my suffering.”

“You really think you can dethrone me?” Shiro asks Keith as they wait for Hunk to serve the cake.

“I have as good a chance as anyone,” Keith replies.

Hunk brings Shiro a plate laden with the top most tier of the cake. It’s only slightly smaller than the plate itself and Shiro laughs.

“I mean it, Shiro, you don’t have to share this with anyone. I would have made a bigger layer but chocolate, like real chocolate, is kind of hard to come by.”

Shiro cuts into the cake and sees the rich, dark interior and immediately smells the sweet scent. It’s been so long since he’s had anything even close to chocolate. Or cake. He takes a bite and closes his eyes to enjoy the taste and the memories it conjures.

“Hunk. . .this is. . .” Shiro sighs. “Thank you.”

He holds the plate out to Hunk and Keith.

“You sure?” Hunk asks.

“Yes,” Shiro nods. “Guys,” he gestures to the others. “You need to taste this.”

“This is chocolate?” Allura asks before putting the bite in her mouth. Her eyes narrow then get wide and she hums approval. “Yes, I see why this is your favorite, Shiro. Coran, you have to taste.”

The top layer of Shiro’s birthday cake is quickly devoured by the seven of them. Shiro passes his plate to Hunk as he gestures for it and says to the group.

“Thank you for all of this.” He takes the plate back from Hunk and notices the different colored slices, one from each layer of the enormous cake. “Really, guys, all the work you put into the cake and decorations and. . .” He looks at Pidge. “You really made go karts?”

“Space equivalent,” she says around a mouthful of cake.

“I mean it. Allura, Coran, Hunk, Pidge, Lance. . .” He smiles at each of them then looks at Keith. “This means so much to me, that you’d do all this and I love it. Thank you.”

“We love you, Shiro,” Hunk says.

Pidge nods.

“And it gave us all something to do.” She grins at him and Shiro grins back.

“Just remember this when it’s my birthday,” Lance teases him. “My favorite cake is angel food but chocolate is a close second.” He gives Shiro another hug. “Hunk’s right, we all love you, fearless leader.”

Keith rolls his eyes at him and Lance laughs.

“Hey, got to butter up the king, right? Get his head all swollen so he can’t wear that crown,” Lance says.

Keith laughs. He steps to Shiro and they embrace.

“Thank you, Keith,” Shiro says in a low voice. “It’s exactly what I wanted.”

\-----------------------------

Shiro stops at the convenience store on the way home and peruses the selection of snack cakes. He grabs a two pack of chocolate creme filled cupcakes and an individual sized carton of milk and heads to the register.

It’s been a long day and he just wants to go back to his apartment and try to salvage the last few hours of his birthday. While this is hardly his worst birthday, it’s definitely not one of the best, either. Not even close.

It could be worse, he tells himself as he pauses at a red light. It could be raining. He could have a terminal disease or mourning the death of a loved one or. . .there are a lot of things that can be worse than being alone, and lonely, on your birthday.

Once inside his second floor walk-up, he heads to the bathroom for a much needed shower. He’s under the spray when he hears the phone and hurries to rinse his hair but isn’t fast enough. He rushes through the rest of the shower, wraps a towel around his waist, and finds the phone still in his pants.

It rings in his hand as he’s trying to retrieve the voicemail. He answers and hears a familiar voice.

“Happy birthday, Shiro!”

“Thanks, Hunk.”

“You didn’t think I’d forget, did you? Sorry it’s late. I meant to call earlier but. . .oh, I sent you something. Kind of a belated gift. Sorry, I meant to send it earlier but. . .”

“It’s ok, Hunk. Thanks.” Shiro hears a clatter in the background followed by the sound of a child crying. “Everything ok?”

“Oh, yeah, Shay got him. He’s just whining for a cookie. Kids, right?”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Shiro says.

They chat for a short while until Shiro hears more crying.

“I should let you go,” Shiro says. “Tell Henry he better be good or uncle Shiro’s not going to bring him a surprise.”

“Hmm, he doesn’t like the idea of being booted off the uncle Shiro gravy train. See you at the Juniberry festival?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Shiro replies.

“Happy birthday, Shiro,” Hunk repeats.

“Thanks, Hunk. Tell Shay and Henry I said ‘hi’.”

“Will do. ‘Night.”

“Goodnight, Hunk.”

He disconnects the call and tosses the phone on the sofa and it rings again. He grins and doesn’t bother to look at the number.

“Happy birthday, Shiro!”

“Thanks, Pidge.”

“You think I forgot?”

“I know you wouldn’t. None of you would. How are you?”

“About ready to string Matt up by his balls. . .”

Shiro laughs and listens to Pidge rant about her brother.

“See you next weekend for Holt family dinner?” she asks as the conversation comes to a close.

“Where else do I have to be?”

“Good point,” she teases.

They say their goodbyes and Shiro takes the phone with him to his bedroom. He’s just about dressed when it rings again. He laughs as he hears Lance singing happy birthday.

“Did you get your present yet?” he asks.

“Hunk said he sent something. . .”

“Really? Ooh, I bet he sent you baked goods but, no. . .uh, forget I said anything.”

“Lance . . .”

“No, Shiro, I’m not saying anything else and you can’t make me. So, you going to be around tomorrow to go out and get drunk with me?”

“Definitely.” Shiro chuckles. He always has a good time with Lance.

“See you then. Bye Shiro. Happy birthday.”

Shiro remembers the first missed call and retrieves the voicemail. He listens as Allura and Coran wish him happy birthday and tell him how they can’t wait to see him again for the Juniberry festival. Shiro smiles to himself and disconnects the call and types them a quick thank you message.

He takes the phone with him as he goes to the kitchen and retrieves the bottle of milk and cupcakes. He tosses the phone onto the coffee table and plops onto the sofa. He may be spending his birthday alone but he’s no longer lonely. He bites into the first of the two cupcakes and washes it down with some milk.

The phone rings. He grabs it without bothering to look at the number.

“Hey, birthday king.” Keith’s voice makes him smile. “You going to come down here and open the door or what?”

“What?” Shiro sits up and hears Keith laugh. “You’re. . .”

“Here. At your door. Waiting so are you going to. . .”

“Yeah, yeah.” Shiro disconnects the call and tosses the phone on the sofa as he gets up. 

He thought Keith was on a mission, that he wouldn’t see him again until the Juniberry festival. He laughs as he trots down the stairs and crosses the small lobby. 

“You were surprised,” Keith says when Shiro opens the door.

“Totally,” Shiro nods. He gestures to the stairs and follows Keith up to the apartment. “So, are you the present Hunk and Lance mentioned?”

“I don’t know anything about what Hunk might have sent you. Probably baked goods to make up for. . .” He pokes at the convenience store cupcakes on the coffee table. “If I had known that was your birthday cake.”

Shiro offers him the uneaten cupcake and Keith laughs. He accepts and takes a bite.

“I had a shit day,” Shiro admits.

“Sorry,” Keith says. Shiro offers him the milk and he takes a drink. He swallows and wipes his mouth then looks at Shiro. Keith gives him a smile then leans over and kisses him.

Shiro doesn’t hesitate. He kisses Keith back and slides closer to embrace him.

Takashi Shirogane has always loved his birthday.

When they finally release one another, Keith grins at him.

“Happy birthday, Shiro.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just some Shiro fluff (ok, there's that one little bittersweet moment). 
> 
> This is part of my generic Shiro snippets/drabbles (not part of "How We Get There"). Just wanted to indulge in some of my head cannons (Shiro loves cats and chocolate and Keith).
> 
> Yeah, I totally see Shiro getting married to Keith (at the Juniberry Festival on New Altea).


End file.
